It's Not "Karma" Sutra...

Last week, I discovered (to my supreme delight) that I am now searchable on Amazon.com. Type in my name, and Magnetic Kama Sutra: A Naughty Sculpture Kit appears. Anyone who knew me from grade school or even high school would probably assume that my identity had been stolen, but yes, Donna Gambale wrote about Sex.

How did this all come about? Well, prior to getting my current job, I interned at Running Press in Philadelphia. It's a fun independent trade publisher that creates, among many other things, interactive book-related products. Mini kits are part of their repertoire, and when I left my internship, I offered to write any available ones. Lo and behold, last August, Magnetic Kama Sutra came into my life. (Thanks Jordana!)

I'm not someone who would normally feel comfortable writing about sex positions. Chalk it up to twelve years of Catholic school, but just thinking about writing it made me blush. And blush I did. But I approached it like it was half research paper, half acting exercise. For inspiration, I read a couple Kama Sutra books, Googled a few terms I never thought I'd Google, read a year's worth of Cosmo, flipped through a risque deck of cards, and then sat down to write.

At first I felt overwhelmed by the idea of choosing less than ten positions, but then I realized that pretty much every sex position ever created is a variation on just a handful of basics. (Kind of like the idea of the Seven Basic Plots for writing.) So I chose a variety (some I'd heard of, some I hadn't), and started writing. Coming up with names for them was my favorite. And because great sex is more than just a position, I included a "Location" and "Saucy Little Extra" per position to spice it up even more.

It took me awhile to get into the flow of writing. I giggled. I blushed some more. I procrastinated. But once I got started, I had so much fun. I was no longer Donna Gambale, high school valedictorian and self-proclaimed dork. (Don't ask me who I was, but I wasn't her.) When I read it now, I can barely believe I wrote it. It was one of the most freeing processes I've ever experienced because I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and I succeeded.

Anyway, Magnetic Kama Sutra comes out December 7th, and it's available for pre-order here. If I have anything to say about it, this won't be the crowning achievement in my writing resume, but it sure is an interesting start!

*** PS - How could I forget to mention how much Frankie helped me with this?! From supplying me with some reading material, to a hysterical two-person critique session in an AU library study room (during which I got on the floor to physically demonstrate a position), to being instrumental in writing and perfecting the perfect opening sentence - you rock, miss!